FIFA President Gianni Infantino Under Fire Over Trump World Cup Role
· Yahoo Sports
FIFA President Gianni Infantino is facing an unprecedented integrity crisis at the height of the 2026 World Cup following a formal complaint filed with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Ethics Commission.
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The complaint comes after football’s governing body overturned a controversial red card issued to USMNT star Folarin Balogun following a call from Donald Trump requesting a review.
Infantino and Trump have grown increasingly close in recent years, with the FIFA president also revealing that the U.S. leader will join him in presenting the World Cup trophy to the winning nation on Sunday, July 19.
Gianni Infantino Reported To IOC Over Trump TiesZUMAPRESS.com / MEGAGianni Infantino has been reported to the International Olympic Committee over the eyebrow-raising nature of his relationship with Donald Trump and his handling of Folarin Balogun’s suspension, per ESPN.
The complaint, submitted by London-based sports and human rights watchdog FairSquare, accuses Infantino of repeatedly violating the strict political neutrality rules tied to his IOC membership.
The controversy began during the tournament’s knockout stage when Balogun received a straight red card in the USMNT’s 2-0 Round of 32 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina. The dismissal meant he was automatically suspended for the crucial quarterfinal against Belgium.
However, FIFA’s disciplinary committee invoked Article 27 of its disciplinary code to freeze the suspension, clearing the USMNT’s leading scorer to play.
Watchdog Accuses Infantino Of Multiple Violations
Under its code of ethics, the IOC identifies political neutrality as one of the “fundamental principles of Olympism” for sporting bodies such as FIFA. Since becoming an IOC member in 2020, Infantino has been bound by the Olympic Charter’s neutrality requirements.
FairSquare alleges he committed five major breaches of those rules, along with what it described as “prima facie” evidence of two additional violations.
“Gianni Infantino has repeatedly breached the IOC’s rules on political neutrality by offering his political support for the President of the United States, Donald Trump,” FairSquare said in a statement.
“As outlined below, the evidence suggests that Mr. Infantino has committed five clear breaches of IOC rules on political neutrality through statements or other clear expressions of support for the US President,” the group added.
Complaint Flags Two More Serious Allegations
ZUMAPRESS.com / MEGAAlongside its petition, FairSquare said it had “provided prima facie evidence of two further serious breaches” and called on the IOC to investigate all of the allegations.
According to the statement, the first allegation “relates to possible acquiescence to political pressure from President Trump to circumvent FIFA’s on-field disciplinary rules during the 2026 men’s World Cup.”
The second allegation “relates to Mr. Infantino’s promotion of a FIFA fan site for the 2026 men’s World Cup, which appears to have been part of a data-harvesting campaign run by entities linked to President Trump.”
Trump Confirmed He Called Gianni Infantino
ZUMAPRESS.com / MEGAThe stunning reversal of Balogun’s suspension quickly sparked allegations of political interference after Trump acknowledged during an Oval Office briefing that he had called Infantino to request a review and described the referee’s decision as “horrible.”
“All I did was ask for a review. I didn’t say you have to do this,” Trump said at the time, per ESPN. “This man is a smart, tough man, Gianni Infantino. He’s a smart, tough man, and his stock has gone through the roof because the job he has done has been great. I feel like we have to have all the best players on the field.”
The intervention drew criticism from several quarters, including the Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA), which said FIFA’s handling of the situation and the lack of clarity left it with no choice but to challenge Balogun’s eligibility for the upcoming match.
Belgium ultimately backed up its protests on the pitch, routing the United States 4-1 in Seattle.
How Donald Trump And Gianni Infantino Became Close Allies
Trump and Infantino have grown increasingly close since the billionaire politician began his second term, although the president’s interest in soccer dates back to 2018, when the United States secured co-hosting rights for the 2026 World Cup during his first administration.
According to AP News, Infantino made an impression on Trump after presenting him with a red and yellow card while joking that he could use them on the press.
The pair later had dinner together at the World Economic Forum in Davos in 2020, where Infantino referred to Trump as “my great friend.” That same year, Trump invited the FIFA president to the White House for the signing ceremony of the Abraham Accords.
Little was publicly known about Infantino’s relationship with Joe Biden after Trump left office, but following Trump’s 2024 election victory, Infantino publicly congratulated him and visited Mar-a-Lago.
He later attended Trump’s January 2025 inauguration, saying the two men “share a great friendship.”
The FIFA President Gianni Infantino Under Fire Over Trump World Cup Role first appeared on The Blast